Automated feature analysis of a structure

Abstract

An automated structural feature and analysis system is disclosed. A 3D device emits a volume scanning 3D beam that scans a structure to generate 3D data that is associated with a distance between the 3D device and each end point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure. An imaging device captures an image of the structure to generate image data with the structure as depicted by the image of the structure. A controller fuses the 3D data of the structure generated by the 3D device with the image data of the structure generated by the imaging device to determine the distance between the 3D device and each end point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure and to determine a distance between each point on the image. The controller generates a sketch image of the structure that is displayed to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An automated structural feature analysis system, comprising: a Three-Dimensional (3D) device configured to emit a volume scanning 3D beam that scans a structure to generate 3D data that is associated with a distance between the 3D device and each end point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure; an imaging device configured to capture an image of the structure to generate image data associated with the structure as depicted by the image of the structure; and a controller configured to: fuse the 3D data of the structure generated by the 3D device with the image data of the structure generated by the imaging device to determine the distance between the 3D device and each end point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure and to determine a distance between each point on the image, and generate a sketch image of the structure that is displayed to the user that depicts the structure based on the distance between the 3D device and each point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure and the distance between each point on the image: wherein the controller is further configured to: emit a beam of light onto the structure to measure the distance between each element that formulates each plane included in the structure and build a point cloud that depicts each element that formulates each plane included in the structure as a distance from the controller; the point cloud of distance measurements of each element of each plane is combined with the photo-metric image of such plane in the visible light spectrum to compose the data that contains the photometric characteristics of each point on the plane and its distance from the controller. 
     
     
       2. The automated structural feature analysis of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: determine a pitch of each plane included in the structure based on the distance between the 3D device and each end point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure and the distance between each point on the image, wherein each plane included in the structure is a portion of the structure that is positioned at a different pitch relative to each other plane included in the structure; wherein the controller is further configured to: locate each obstruction that is positioned on the structure as depicted by the 3 dimensional matrix constructed by the controller and processed by a trained neural network to identify objects and classify such objects. 
     
     
       3. The automated structural feature analysis system of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the pitch of each plane included in the structure based on the distance between the 3D device and each cloud point included in the point cloud map and the distance between each cloud point included in the point cloud map. 
     
     
       4. The automated structural feature analysis system of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to: determine a plurality of dimensions associated with each plane and a pitch associated with each plane and a plurality of distances between each plane and each other plane based on the segmentation of each plane included in the structure as depicted by the image of the structure. 
     
     
       5. The automated structural feature analysis system of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to: segment each obstruction positioned on the structure as depicted by the image of the structure so that each obstruction is segmented from each plane included in the structure as depicted by the image, wherein each obstruction is an obstruction positioned on the structure that is not included in any of the planes included in the structure. 
     
     
       6. The automated structural feature analysis system of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to: generate the sketch image of the structure that is displayed to the user that depicts each segmented plane and each segmented obstruction included in the structure based on the segmentation of each plane and each obstruction relative to the distance between the 3D device and each point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure, the distance between each point on the image, and the pitch of each plane. 
     
     
       7. The automated structural feature analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: generate a point cloud map of the structure based on the fused 3D data and the image data that includes a plurality of cloud points that is arranged to depict a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the structure, wherein the point cloud map provides the distance between the 3D device and each cloud point included in the point cloud map and the distance between each cloud point included in the point cloud map; wherein the controller is further configured to: generate the sketch image of the structure that is displayed to the user that depicts each segmented plane and each segmented obstruction included in the structure based on the segmentation of each plane and each obstruction identified from the 3 dimensional matrix, classified, and segmented by the trained neural network. 
     
     
       8. The automated structural feature analysis system of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to: segment each plane included in the structure as depicted by the image of the structure so that each plane is segmented from each other plane included in the structure as depicted by the image based on the fused 3D data and image data depicted in the point cloud map, wherein each point depicted by the image corresponds to a cloud point on the point cloud map that provides the distance between the 3D device and each cloud point and the distance between each cloud point. 
     
     
       9. The automated structural feature analysis system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to: locate each element that formulates each plane included in the structure as depicted by the image as designated by each line that encompasses each plane; identify each element that formulates each plane included in the structure to identify a structural feature of each element of each plane, wherein the structural feature is a feature provided by each element to the structure as formulated in each corresponding plane; and determine a distance of each element that formulates each plane included in the structure, wherein the distance is a length dimension associated with each element. 
     
     
       10. The automated structural feature analysis system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to: locate each obstruction that is positioned on the structure as depicted by the image as designated by each line that encompasses each obstruction; and identify each obstruction that is positioned on the structure to identify a structural feature of each obstruction that is positioned on the structure, wherein the structural feature is a feature provided by each obstruction to the structure. 
     
     
       11. A method for automatically generating and analyzing structural features of a structure, comprising: emitting a volume scanning Light Detection and Ranging (3D) beam that scans a structure to generate 3D data that is associated with a distance between the 3D device and each end point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure; capturing an image of the structure to generate image data associated with the structure as depicted by the image of the structure; fusing the 3D data of the structure generated by a 3D device with the image data of the structure generated by an imaging device to determine the distance between the 3D device and each end point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure and determine a distance between each point on the image; and generating a sketch image of the structure that is displayed to the user that depicts the structure based on the distance between the 3D device and each point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure and the distance between each point on the image; locating each element that formulates each plane included in the structure as depicted by the relative distance between the 3D device and each point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure, the distance between each point on the image, and the pitch of each plane is calculated using trained neural network or deterministically using trigonometric functions that takes as input the distance of each element on the structure identifying each element that formulates each plane included in the structure to identify a structural feature of each element of each plane, wherein the structural feature is a feature provided by each element to the structure as formulated in each corresponding plane; and determine a distance of each element that formulates each plane included in the structure, wherein the distance is a length dimension associated with each element; emitting a beam of light from a light beam source onto the structure to measure the distance between each element that formulates each plane included in the structure and building a point cloud that depicts each element that formulates each plane included in the structure as a distance from the light beam source; the point cloud of distance measurements of each element of each plane is combined with the photo-metric image of such plane in the visible light spectrum to compose the data that contains the photometric characteristics of each point on the plane and its distance from the light beam source. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: determining a pitch of each plane included in the structure based on the distance between the 3D device and each end point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure and the distance between each point on the image, wherein each plane included in the structure is a portion of the structure that is positioned at a different pitch relative to each other plane included in the structure; locating each obstruction that is positioned on the structure as depicted by the image as designated by each line that encompasses each obstruction; and identifying each obstruction that is positioned on the structure to identify a structural feature provided by each obstruction to the structure and identifying the location of such obstruction relative to the plane of the structure under measurement. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: generating a point cloud map of the structure based on the fused 3D data and the image data that includes a plurality of cloud points that is arranged to depict a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the structure, wherein the point cloud map provides the distance between the 3D device and each cloud point included in the point cloud map and the distance between each cloud point included in the point cloud map; and generating the sketch image of the structure that is displayed to the user that depicts each segmented plane and each segmented obstruction included in the structure based on the segmentation of each plane and each obstruction relative to the distance between the 3D device and each point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure, the distance between each point on the image, and the pitch of each plane. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: determining the pitch of each plane included in the structure based on the distance between the 3D device and each cloud point included in the point cloud map and the distance between each cloud point included in the point cloud map. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: segmenting each plane included in the structure as depicted by the image of the structure so that each plane is segmented from each other plane included in the structure as depicted by the image based on the fused 3D data and image data depicted in the point cloud map, wherein each point depicted by the image corresponds to a cloud point on the point cloud map that provides the distance between the 3D device and each cloud point and the distance between each cloud point. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: determining a plurality of dimensions associated with each plane and a pitch associated with each plane and a plurality of distances between each plane and each other plane based on the segmentation of each plane included in the structure as depicted by the image of the structure. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: locating each element that formulates each plane included in the structure as depicted by the image as designated by each line that encompasses each plane; identifying each element that formulates each plane included in the structure to identify a structural feature of each element of each plane, wherein the structural feature is a feature provided by each element to the structure as formulated in each corresponding plane; and determine a distance of each element that formulates each plane included in the structure, wherein the distance is a length dimension associated with each element. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: segmenting each obstruction positioned on the structure as depicted by the image of the structure so that each obstruction is segmented from each plane included in the structure as depicted by the image, wherein each obstruction is an obstruction positioned on the structure that is not included in any of the planes included in the structure. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: locating each obstruction that is positioned on the structure as depicted by the image as designated by each line that encompasses each obstruction; and identifying each obstruction that is positioned on the structure to identify a structural feature provided by each obstruction to the structure. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: generating the sketch image of the structure that is displayed to the user that depicts each segmented plane and each segmented obstruction included in the structure based on the segmentation of each plane and each obstruction relative to the distance between the 3D device and each point of the 3D beam positioned on the structure, the distance between each point on the image, and the pitch of each plane.